Organic Agriculture Symposium: Fundamentals for Professionals

Program Support for Organic
Across Canada there are many organic specific programs and services offered by various
federal, provincial and other agencies to support organic food and farming endeavours.
Following is a list of many examples of these from across the country. In all cases there are
also many other programs available to farmers, including organic producers, on a range of
topics. In addition to these programs which are mainly aimed at farm production, there are
also many support programs for other levels of the food value chain.
As might be expected, provinces have developed different approaches to supporting organic
according to regional priorities and resources. This is largely a list of what is available for
this fiscal year as of September 2008, although programs are always changing. For example,
next year’s programs will be influenced by the new “Growing Forward” initiatives.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
• $7.2 M ACAAF (74 projects 2004-2008)
o Numerous regional projects
o Some projects conducted by OACC
• Development of standards and regulations - ongoing support for past 10 years
through AAFC and CFIA.
• Organic Value Chain Round Table
• Some research projects now underway in organic
British Columbia
• $1 Million (2003-05) to develop Organic Sector Development Program
• $300,000 to Certified Organic Associations of BC to support extension position for
3 years (2007-09)
• Designated specialty classes within quota commodities to better integrate specialty
production in the supply managed sectors
• $42,000 from BC Organic Sector Development Program to March 2009 for Animal
Welfare Project
Alberta
• $75,000 this year from APF grants for Organic market expansion.
• $280,000 from industry and Ag Consortium fund over the next three years for
research in Organic Dairy transition.
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